PRIDE will begin shipping the redesigned Special Olympics specialty license plate the week of March 29th. All license plates will be delivered to Tax collector's offices by April 14th, and be available for sale. 
The mission of Special Olympics Florida is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities who wish to participate, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.
The ultimate objective of Special Olympics Florida is to help people with intellectual disabilities participate as productive and respected members of society at large, by offering them a fair opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skills and talents through sports training and competition, and by increasing the public’s awareness of their capabilities and needs.
Special Olympics Florida, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games be held in Orlando, June 5-12, and will feature 4,000 athletes, 10,000 volunteers, and 125,000 fans, all of whom will unite in the Orlando area and participate in one of the country’s most cherished sporting events.
Athletes will compete in 16 Olympic-type team and individual sports sports.  The Games will promote the ideals of acceptance and inclusion through sport, and showcase the athleticism and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities, while highlighting Special Olympics’ work in sport, education, health and community-building. 

Roger Lightle, an expert in the work of the Florida Highwaymen, will show a large collection of these paintings and give a lecture on the genre on March 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Butler Cultural Center, 84 SE 4 Ave, Vero Beach. The public is invited to this free event.
Lightle,  a Vero Beach contractor, is the president of Highwaymen Art Specialists. His home is filled with the works of these artists and much of his collection is for sale.
He will lecture each day at noon on the Highwaymen, a group of 27 African-American artists who, although lacking in formal artistic training, painted landscapes of Florida’s backwoods, seashore and rivers. They began in the late ‘50s, and because they had no place to show their work, set up their paintings on the roadside giving rise to the name “Highwaymen.”

The Florida Legislature has approved a specialty license plate in honor of the Florida Highwaymen, but 3,000 presale vouchers must be ordered before the plate can go into production. Click here to place a preorder.

In 1958, a young African American high school student named Alfred Hair met local artist A.E. Backus, and soon an idea was kindled: creating an artistic path beyond the prevailing racial barriers of the times and toward a brighter, self-made future.
The experienced artist recognized the emerging talent in Hair, and remembering the spirit of altruism that helped him start his own career, he became a mentor. With training in art, audience, and business, Hair launched a movement. He invented a new business plan for himself and a group of friends, whom he taught to paint and to sell paintings up and down the Atlantic coast of Florida … from the trunks of their cars.

​Meanwhile, Harold Newton was trying to make his way as an artist. He had heard of the white painter who lived at the end of Avenue C, that he was welcoming to all, and in 1955 he thought it might be worth a visit. What he learned from Backus transformed him — mastering scenes of the Florida landscape, watching the older artist work especially with a palette knife, being encouraged to bring his paintings for helpful critiques — it all inspired Newton to paint like never before.
The roadblocks faced during the years of racial segregation in the 50s and 60s were significant, but these enterprising artists were creative and persevered. With success, their number grew to more than two dozen, painting tens of thousands of works to meet the demand. They later became known as the Florida Highwaymen.
The original Highwaymen blazed their own trail by way of the arts. In 2004, they were recognized in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and in 2016, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opened with 18 Highwaymen paintings in its collection, a testament to the inspiring story that began here.

Some say it has been a longtime coming. Walt Disney world has taken the next step to create a very special Florida license plate that could be on vehicles on Florida roads by the end of this year.
The design of the newly proposed Walt Disney World Specialty License Plate features the “EARidescent” 50th anniversary castle logo on a majestic royal blue background. Inspired by the color scheme of Cinderella Castle, this magical plate is currently available for presale and will also help make even more dreams true, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish of Central and Northern Florida and their work granting wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Disney has a longstanding relationship with Make-A-Wish, dating back to 1980, and since then, more than 140,000 Disney-inspired wishes have been granted, including thousands taking place at Walt Disney World Resort. This license plate is a unique opportunity to commemorate 50 years of Central Florida magic.
3,000 presale vouchers must be purchased before the DMV can create the Walt Disney World Specialty License Plate. 
Presale vouchers are available for purchase here.

Total SLP revenue for February, 2021 was $2,748,180.86 (compared to $2,578,156.00 for February, 2020). Endless Summer brought in $182,200.00 (compared to $155,350.00 in February, 2020), University of Florida brought in $156,125.00 (compared to $157,975.00 in February, 2020), Helping Sea Turtles Survive brought in $148,810.00 (compared to $138,230.00) and Florida State University brought in $119,375.00 (compared to $123,650.00).
The newly redesigned Support Law Enforcement black plate design continued to do very well and saw sales increase from $22,640.00 to $28,760.00, including an increase in new plate sales from 162 to 394. Similarly, the new Miami Marlins black design brought in $11,150.00 compared to $8,350.00.
Tampa Bay Bucs saw revenue increase from $65,575 (with 475 new plates) to $96,450.00 (1,406 new plates) and Miami Heat increased from $102,025.00 to $118,974.00.
Total sales of specialty plates for February 2021 was 117,054, compared to 111,023 in February, 2020.
Total sales of new issued plates was 18,555 in February, 2021 (compared to 16,842 in February, 2020).
Top selling new issued plates for February, 2021 were Endless Summer (1,746), Tampa Bay Bucs (1,406) and  Miami Heat (1,286). The lowest selling new plate sales, excluding the independent college plates were Agriculture Education (14) Scouting Teaches Values (17) Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches (22) Keep Kids Drug Free (13) Kids Deserve Justice (10) Moffitt Cancer Center (17)
Blue Angels have now been added to the DHSMV SLP list and showed $300.00 in revenue, although the plate is not actually on sale yet. Blue Angels is listed as retaining 12 plates. Hopefully the code for an existing organization is not being confused with the code for the Blue Angels (‘BA’).
University of Alabama (code U1) is also on the list (despite not having reached their 4,000 presell) and the data is showing revenue of $100.00 as ‘Miscellaneous Revenue.  Edward Waters College showed $25.00 in revenue, despite being delisted.

The month of February, 2021 saw a total of 1,979 presale vouchers sold, the lowest month since inception of the voucher sales in October, 2020. 
A total of 16,479 presale vouches have been sold as of March 14,2021, totaling $543,807.00.
Thank a Lineman saw the highest number of voucher sales in February (434) and now has sold 799 towards their 3,000 goal. Beat Childhood Cancer sold 221 and Explore off Road Florida sold 196.
There are still  3 plates that have not sold a single presale voucher: #15 America the Beautiful, #25 Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, #27 Johnson and Whales University and plates that have sold 5 or less are #10 Highwaymen, #17 American Eagle and #32 Florida Native.

12 new specialty license plates have been added to SB 676, which was initially to create the Florida State Parks plate.  The additional plates are “Support Health Care Heroes” to honor health care workers in light of the pandemic, "Disease Prevention and Early Detection", "Inter Miami CF" (soccer), "Orlando United", "Toastmasters", "Florida Gopher Tortoise", "Margaritaville" "Ethical Ecotourism" "Protect Biscayne Bay" "Honor Flight" and "Protect Marine Wildlife", designed by famed Vero Beach artist Steve Diossy. 
Steve Diossy also designed the top selling Florida specialty license plate "Endless Summer", as well as "Protect Wild Dolphins", "Protect Florida Whales", "Aquaculture" and "Save our Seas", among others.
“I think it’s a very important thing for the citizens to be able to make these donations to various charities, and license plates are a wonderful way to do it,” Senator Gayle Harell said.
The bill also adds a special plate not subject to the same pre-voucher requirements, the Army of Occupation Veterans. The special plate, a separate category from a specialty plate, is only available to service members honored with the award. The Army of Occupation medal is awarded to service members for 30 days of consecutive service while assigned to select foreign countries as part of an occupying force.
Florida State Parks
The state parks license plate House companion bill (HB 29) sponsored by Rep. Allison Tant is in its final of three committee stops. Next up is the House Commerce committee.
According to the Senate Committee on Transportation bill analysis the Florida State Parks Foundation, Inc., was founded in 1993 and supports the Florida State Park system through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and provide financial support to supplement state funding.
Inter Miami CF
The Inter Miami CF Foundation Corporation is an organization which uses the game of soccer as a catalyst for positive change in the South Florida community. They focus on education and empowerment, access and inclusion and health and wellness for kids and young adults in underserved communities. The Inter Miami CF Foundation Corporation uses the clubs reach, expertise and resources to strategically plan and execute sports-based development and direct-service community programs, initiatives and events. They invest in, enhance and support existing organizations that align with their mission while developing their own programs: all with the goal of measurable results and scalable impact.
Toastmasters International
Toastmasters began as a series of speaking clubs organized by Ralph C. Smedley during his time working for the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). Smedley was director of education at the YMCA and he saw a need for the men in the community to learn how to speak conduct meetings, plan programs and work on committees. He decided to organize a club where they could learn these skills in a social environment. He named this group the Toastmasters Club; “toastmaster” was a popular term that referred to a person who gave toasts at banquets and other occasions.
Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders. Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization’s membership exceeds 358,000 in 142 countries. Toastmasters International is not listed in the Department of State Division of Corporations sunbiz.org database as a Florida business entity.
In 1965 the Ralph C. Smedley Memorial Fund was established to honor and uphold Ralph C. Smedley’s legacy and to open doors for the many millions of potential Toastmasters yet to come. Though the historic fund had humble beginnings with a local impact, the reinvigorated Smedley Fund retains its same purpose—the advancement of communication and leadership education through the research, development, and distribution of educational programs and materials.
Gopher Tortoise
The Wildlands Conservation is a non-profit organization, created in 2003, specializing in conservation planning and policy, land management, land protection, research, education and outreach. The Wildlands Conservation works on conservation projects throughout Florida. They strive to work with landowners and others around the state to maximize conservation and minimize impacts, which can be costly to that landowner. Wildlands offers gopher tortoise relocation in an attempt to save tortoises from sites permitted for development. They are committed to ensuring that gopher tortoise survey and relocation work is done thoroughly and as professionally as possible to protect gopher tortoises across the state.
The bill directs the annual use fees to be distributed to Wildlands Conservation, Inc., to fund gopher tortoise and commensal species research, education, and conservation, as well as upland habitat protection, restoration, and management in this state. Up to 15% of the funds received by Wildlands Conservation, Inc., may be used for marketing of the plate and costs directly associated with the administration of the gopher tortoise protection program. Wildlands Conservation, Inc., shall use and distribute the funds to eligible Florida-based scientific, conservation, and educational organizations for gopher tortoise and upland habitat research, conservation, and management
Orlando United
36% of the proceeds of the plate will go to the Mental Health Association of Central Florida, including 5% for marketing and promotion and 5% may be used for administrative purposes. The remainder shall be used to offer free personalized counseling to any person affected by the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016. Mental Health Association of Central Florida has been serving the mental health needs of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard, and Lake counties since 1946. Their mission is to provide mental health services, support and information to the members of the Orlando and surrounding Central Florida community.
33% of the proceeds of the plate will go to the onePULSE Foundation including 2% for marketing and promotion and 5% may be used for administrative expenses. The remainder shall be used to offer free personalized counseling to any person affected by the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando on June 12, 2016. onePULSE Foundation was established to create a sanctuary of hope following the tragic day of June 12, 2016. The foundation was created to honor the 117 victims and the countless first responders and healthcare professionals who treated them. The foundation is intended to support a memorial that opens hearts, a museum that opens minds, educational programs that open eyes and endowed scholarships that open doors. All donations are used for the construction and operation of the National memorial and museum, educational programs and Legacy Scholarships.
31% shall be distributed to the Two Spirit Health Services including 5% that may be used for administrative expenses. Two Spirit Health Services is a non- profit corporation incorporated in 2011. They provide mental health, behavioral, substance abuse, primary care, transgender health, and related services to individuals in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community who live in and around the Central Florida area.
Protect Biscayne Bay
The bill directs the annual use fees to be distributed to the Miami Foundation, Inc., a Florida nonprofit corporation, to be used as follows:
Up to 10% of the fees may be used for promotion and marketing of the license plate and for direct reimbursement for administrative costs, startup costs, and costs incurred in the development and approval process of the license plate. All vendors associated with administrative costs shall be selected by competitive bid.
The remaining fees shall be used to raise awareness and support the mission and efforts of conserving Biscayne Bay. The Miami Foundation Board of Trustees must approve and is accountable for all such expenditures.
The Miami Foundation, founded in 1967, seeks to encourage philanthropy and charitable giving by developing a permanent endowment to meet current and future emerging charitable needs. Grants are made in broad program areas including education, health, human services, arts and culture, the environment, and community and economic development. In addition, field of interest and special funding initiatives have enabled significant grant making addressing the issues of abused and neglected children, immigrants and refugees, AIDS, homelessness, social justice, African-American affairs, care of animals, and heart disease.
Margaritaville
The bill directs the DHSMV to retain all annual use fees from the sale of the plate until all startup costs for developing and issuing the plate have been recovered. Thereafter, up to 10% of the annual use fee revenue may be used for administration, promotion, and marketing of the specialty license plate. All remaining proceeds shall be used by the SFC Charitable Foundation, Inc., to provide grants to nonprofit organizations in communities impacted by natural or manmade disasters for purposes of recovery, rebuilding, and future sustainability and to promote and inspire local grassroots leaders who work to improve the quality of life in those communities and other communities in this state.
The SFC Charitable Foundation, Inc., was founded in 1994. The SFC Charitable Foundation, Inc., does business as the Singing for Change Foundation, which is a private foundation established in 1995 by Jimmy Buffett, as a way of saying thank you to the friends, fans, and concert-goers around the country who have loyally supported his music career.
Initially funded with contributions from Jimmy Buffett's 1995 summer tour, Singing for Change continues to receive one dollar from each concert ticket sold during his tours. Printed on the bottom of each ticket is the words "$1 to SFC Charitable Foundation." Funds raised during Jimmy Buffett's concert tours are redistributed each year in the form of grants to small, grassroots organizations located primarily in communities where he performs. Singing for Change has disbursed almost $11 million in grants in its 23-year history.
Protect Marine Wildlife
The bill directs the DHSMV to retain all annual use fees from the sale of the plate until all startup costs for developing and issuing the plate have been recovered. Thereafter, up to 10% of the annual use fee revenue may be used for administration, promotion, and marketing of the specialty license plate. All remaining proceeds shall be used by the Protect Wild Dolphins Alliance, Inc., to fund its conservation, research, and educational programs that focus on the conservation of Florida’s threatened and protected marine wildlife species.
Protect Wild Dolphins Alliance, Inc., d/b/a Protect Wild Dolphins, operates exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes, including but not limited to the support and conduct of research, scientific and educational activities for the protection and preservation of marine mammals, including, but not limited to, release to the wild programs, the rescue, rehabilitation, release and/or retirement of marine mammals as well as the establishment and operation of a safe haven for unwanted and/or surplus dolphins and other marine mammals.
Protect Wild Dolphins Alliance rescues and rehabilitates stranded marine mammals in order to advance science and education in marine wildlife health and conservation and believes in the humane treatment of all sick and injured marine animals and seeks to advance the One Ocean One Health concept in order to protect ocean heritage.
Disease Prevention and Early Detection
The bill directs the annual use fees to be distributed to the Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative, Florida Affiliate, Inc., which may use a maximum of 10% of the proceeds to promote and market the plate. The remainder of the proceeds shall be used by The Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative, Florida Affiliate, Inc., to provide increased education and awareness relating to early detection, prevention, and screening of breast and heart issues.
The Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative (WBHI), established in 2005, is a nonprofit outreach organization piloting communities toward lifesaving, preventive self-care. Through boots-on-the-ground education and screening initiatives, WBHI encourages and supports social responsibility, community organization and the good health of women. Through strategic partnerships with local colleges and universities, health care partners and professional entities, WBHI has established a network of dedicated and compassionate volunteers. Their relationships with professors and student volunteers in particular help further their goals and provide real-time examples of how the power of the individual can enact social change
Honor Flight
The annual use fees from the sale of the plate must be distributed equally among the Honor Flight Network hubs in this state, each of which is a nonprofit corporation under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, to be used as follows:
Up to 10% of the fees may be used for promotion and marketing of the license plate.
The remaining fees must be used to further the Honor Flight Network’s mission of transporting military veterans to Washington, D.C., in order to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and sacrificed for the United States.
The bill also amends s. 320.08056, F.S., to exclude the Honor Flight license plate from the restriction that all fees and any interest earned from the fees may be expended only for use in this state.
Honor Flight’s mission is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and sacrificed for our country. It is a national network of independent hubs working together to further Honor Flight’s mission. The network currently serves veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as terminally ill veterans who served during any era. Florida’s Honor Flight Network hubs are non-profit corporations under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Honor Flight Hubs in Florida include Collier-Lee, First Coast, Central Florida, West Central Florida, South Florida, Tallahassee, Southeast Florida, Southwest Florida, Space Coast, and The Villages
Ethical Ecotourism
The bill directs the annual use fees to be distributed equally between the Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism and Paddle Florida, Inc., each of which may use up to 10% of such proceeds for administrative costs and the marketing of the plate. The remaining proceeds must be used by the Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism to provide environmental education and awareness that encourage behaviors that contribute to the sustainability of Florida’s natural ecosystems and resources and by Paddle Florida, Inc., to raise awareness about water conservation, wildlife preservation, restoration of springs, and protection of waterways in this state.
In 1998 the CREW Land and Water Trust and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve received a grant from the Advisory Council of Environmental Education, within the Florida Game & Fresh Water Fish Commission, to provide an educational workshop for ecotour providers of Southwest Florida. As a result of the grant, a day-long Southwest Florida Eco/Heritage Tourism Workshop took place in downtown Ft. Myers in which 85 people participated.49
Following the workshop, a group of volunteers from Southwest Florida communities met and formed the Society for Ethical Ecotourism in Southwest Florida. In 2011 they changed their name to the Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism, Inc. The Florida Society for Ethical Ecotourism, Inc., is registered as an active nonprofit corporation with the Florida Department of State.
Paddle Florida, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation organized to support canoeing and kayaking in Florida. The organization supports multi-day paddling/camping trips in each of Florida's five water management districts, showcasing the state’s natural beauty and rich cultural heritage while promoting water conservation, wildlife preservation, springs restoration, and waterways protection. Paddle Florida seeks to promote Florida as an international destination for nature-based tourism.
Support Healthcare Heroes
The annual use fees from the sale of the plate must be distributed annually into the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund within the Department of Health to provide financial support for prehospital medical services pursuant to s. 401.113, F.S.

​The DHSMV is authorized to retain revenues from the first proceeds of specialty license plate sales to defray departmental expenditures related to the specialty license plate program.

​HB 1267  Specialty License Plates Marketed and Sold by Private Vendors is sponsored by Rep John Snyder (R-Palm Beach) who lives in Stuart and is a Staffing and Payroll Services business owner. Rep Snyder (33) graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University, with a BS in Marketing. His father is William D. Snyder, who served in the Florida House of Representatives (2006-2012) and is now the Martin County Sheriff. Rep Snyder was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007-2012 and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Rep Snyder beat out former Rep Carl Domino and lawyer Rick Kozell in a very expensive Republican primary and he replaced state Rep. MaryLynn Magar (R-Tequsta), who was term-limited. Rep Snyder raised and spent $209,344.00, according to campaign finance reports, and captured nearly 65% of the votes in a landslide victory over Democrat Elisa Ackerly (56) who garnered 35%. 
​HB 1269 Fees/Specialty License Plates Marketed and Sold by Private Vendors  is sponsored by Rep Adam Botana (R-Lee County), from Bonita Springs who was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020. Rep Botana works in the Carnival Industry, Food and Beverage and Marina Industry and has a GED.

The Senate companion bill to authorize the fees contained in HB 1269 is SB 1862 Fees/Specialty License Plates Marketed and Sold by Private Vendors sponsored by Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Miami Dade/Monroe), who has also filed SB 1930, the companion bill to HB 1267.
Senator Rodriguez served as a City of Doral Councilwoman (2010-2018) and Vice Mayor (2017-2018) She served in the House of Representatives (2018-2020) and was elected to the Senate in 2020. She is the Senior Vice President of Miami Realtors and received an M.S., Leadership, at Nova Southeastern University, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business in 2009 and before that attended Florida International University, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, receiving a B.S., Communications in 1999.
Senator Rodriguez replaced term-limited Republican incumbent Anitere Flores and defeated her Democratic challenger Javier Fernandez. A child of Cuban immigrants, Senator Rodríguez has lived in South Florida all her life. Before she got her start in politics, she worked as a lobbyist for the Miami Association of Realtors and Baptist Health South Florida.

The proposed Specialty License Plates Marketed and Sold by Private Vendors bill will have an effective date of July 1, 2021. The bills provide for the following:
To create the new plates, the private vendor program will require the DHSMV to enter into a contract with an experienced private vendor whose proposal is most advantageous to the state, as determined from competitive sealed proposals that satisfy the requirements of this section, for the exclusive vendor rights to market and sell specialty license plates. 
The bills state that the department shall enter into a contract with an experienced private vendor based on the sealed competitive bid for an initial term of at least 5 years, renewable with the same private vendor for up to two successive terms of 5 years each, after which the contract must then be competitively bid. Competitive unsealed bids can then be submitted after 15 years.
DHSMV has to certify to the Chief Financial Officer an estimate, with a detailed explanation of the basis on which the estimate is calculated, of all reasonable costs to the department associated with the evaluation of competitive sealed proposals received by the department and with the implementation and enforcement of a contract entered into, including direct, indirect, and administrative costs for the issuance or renewal of private vendor specialty license plates 
The department may not unreasonably disapprove or limit any aspect of the private vendor's marketing and sales plan; unreasonably interfere with the selection, assignment, or management by the private vendor of the private vendor's employees, agents, or subcontractors; or require the private vendor to market and sell specialty license plates.
The private vendor may not market or sell specialty license plates that compete directly for sales with any other similar specialty license plate issued under this chapter without the approval of the department and the sponsoring organization of the other specialty license plate. The department may publish for public comment on its website for up to 10 days a proposed design or color combination for a specialty license plate marketed or sold by a private vendor. The department may not restrict the background color, color combinations, or color alphanumeric license plate numbers of such a specialty license plate, except as determined by the department as necessary for law enforcement purposes.
The department may approve new designs and color combinations for specialty license plates that are marketed and sold by a private vendor under a contract entered into with the private vendor. Each approved license plate design and color combination remains the property of the department. 
The department may approve new designs and color combinations for specialty license plates, including specialty license plates that may be personalized which are marketed and sold by the private vendor under a contract entered into with the private vendor. 
A specialty license plate marketed and sold by a private vendor must be approved by the department for issuance for a term of 1, 3, 5, or 10 years. Subject to the limitations provided in the bill, the department may cancel a specialty license plate or require the discontinuation of a specialty license plate design or color combination that is marketed and sold by the private vendor under contract at any time if the department determines that the cancellation or discontinuation is in the best interest of this state or the motoring public.
An organization to which specialty license plate annual use fees are distributed under s. 320.08058 on or before June 30, 2021, may elect to have its respective specialty license plate marketed and sold by a private vendor after July 1, 2021. Any previously paid deposit or fee shall be credited toward the private vendor for the term to which it applies.
The 150 maximum cap on the number of allowable SLP’s does not apply to specialty license plates marketed and sold by private vendors.
To create a private vendor specialty plate, 200 voucher sales have to be sold (not 3,000) including for out of state college plates (not 4,000) and they don’t have to comply with the requirement that the state in which the college or university is located has authorized license plates for colleges or universities located in Florida. 

License plates marketed and sold by private vendors are exempt from the requirement that fees and any interest earned from the fees may be expended only for use in Florida.
Dealer and fleet specialty license plates must be ordered directly from the department unless marketed and sold by a private vendor, in which case they may be ordered directly from the vendor.
The department must discontinue the issuance of an approved specialty license plate marketed and sold by a private vendor, if it falls below 200 plates, for at least 12 consecutive months (not 3,000.)
License plates marketed and sold by private vendors are exempt from the requirement that on January 1 of each year, the department shall discontinue the specialty license plate with the fewest number of plates in circulation, including license plates exempt from a statutory sales requirement. 
The annual use fee from the sale of specialty license plates, the interest earned from those fees, or any fees received by any entity as a result of the sale of specialty license plates may not be used for the purpose of marketing to, or lobbying, entertaining, or rewarding, an employee of a governmental agency that is responsible for the sale and distribution of specialty license plates, or an elected member or employee of the Legislature. This does not apply to specialty license plates marketed and sold by private vendors.
License plates marketed and sold by private vendors are also exempted from minimum sales requirements for the Independent college template and out of state college plates. ​

​In a search of the registered lobbyist database, Corcoran Partners have registered as lobbyists for License Plates of Texas, LLC, for HB 1269 / HB 1267: Robert M Blair, Jacqueline A Corcoran, (probably Jessie Corcoran, Michael’s wife) Eric Criss, Andrea Tovar and Michael C. Corcoran.
Ted Smith (Florida Automobile Dealers Association) is the only lobbyist that has filed a disclosure so far for the two Senate bills.
License Plates of Texas LLC operates myplates.com out of Austin, Texas and according to Dunn and Bradstreet, License Plates of Texas, LLC d/b/a My Plates has 15 total employees across all of its locations and generates $2.27 million in sales (USD).
According to press releases from My Plates, My Plates launched in November 2009 and has sold close to 500,000 specialty plates across the state, averaging about 42,000 a year, and raised over $100M for the General Revenue of Texas ($8.3 million a year). In addition to those revenues, they have also raised millions for various colleges, charities and scholarships. My Plates designs and markets new specialty license plates as the sole vendor for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV).
According to a press release in January, 2021, MyPlates now offers all of the 450 plates in Texas, including plates for Mighty Fine Burgers and Remax and their new web site launch achieved the TxDMV’s objective for the plate vendor to provide the public with the convenience of a one-stop-shop to acquire all specialty license plates, ending visits to multiple website stores.  

​Under current law, inmates working for PRIDE Enterprises manufactures license plates and validation stickers for DHSMV and DHSMV is not required to obtain competitive bids in order to contract them. The Legislature created Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises (PRIDE) in 1981 as a private, non-profit corporation to lease and manage the state prison industries program.
CS/HB 695 by the Tourism, Infrastructure & Energy Subcommittee and Representative Nick Duran (R-Miami) and the companion bill, SB 862, filed by Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) are being pushed by lobbyists Cory Guzzo and Jorge Chamizo of Floridian Partners on behalf of California based ReviverMX, Inc. Lobbyist compensation reports for the latest reported quarter showed that the  lobbying firm was paid $560,000 in legislative lobbying pay and another $390,000 in executive branch earnings for a combined total of $950,000, according to a summary provided by Florida Politics.  Their other clients include Avail, Florida Internet & Television, Liberty Mutual Group, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, the Florida Insurance Council, Gulf Power, TECO Energy, Anheuser-Busch, HP,  U.S. Sugar, the Florida Realtors and Magellan Health.

​Senator Joe Gruters was elected to the Senate in 2018, after having served in the House from 2016-2018. He is a CPA and was educated at USF and FSU. He was reelected Florida GOP chair in January, and Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler was reelected party vice chair. He co-chaired Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign in Florida before taking over as Florida GOP chair in 2019 and helping the president carry the state in 2020.
Representative Nick Duran is a nonprofit executive director for the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and was educated at UF and New York Law School. He was elected to the House in 2016.
The Digital License Plate bill proposes to eliminate DHSMV’s current authority to evaluate alternative license plates through a pilot program and formally creates the Digital License Plate Pilot Program. Beginning July 1, 2021, DHSMV must administer the pilot program, which is limited to the installation of digital license plates on government-owned motor vehicles. By July 1, 2022, DHSMV must allow any motor vehicle registered in Florida to be equipped with a digital license plate in lieu of a physical license plate. 
The bill authorizes DHSMV to contract with one or more digital license plate providers, and DHSMV may authorize the display of a plate number and validation sticker on a digital license plate. DHSMV may authorize the use of digital license plates for toll collection, if approved by the Department of Transportation or other appropriate tolling authority, and parking permits. DHSMV may establish procedures for displaying emergency alerts, static logo displays, and other displays on the license plate. The bill defines the term “digital license plate provider” as a person or an entity engaged in the business of providing digital license plate hardware and services to motor vehicles.

​The current version of the bill now requires that, before purchasing a digital license plate, the vehicle owner must purchase a metal license plate from DHSMV and pay all applicable motor vehicle fees. The bill also provides requirements for the digital license plate and requires providers to maintain an inventory of digital license plates, make available digital versions of each specialty license plate, and update the vehicle’s registration in real time. 
The bill analyst, Johnson, assumes that most of the programming is between the digital license plate provider and the consumer, so the bill will have an insignificant impact on DHSMV expenditures. However, the bill is unclear as to whether or not DHSMV will continue collecting all existing license plate fees. The bill provides that a consumer who chooses to purchase a digital license plate must purchase it directly from the digital license plate provider. In addition to any fees associated with the purchase of the digital license plate, the consumer is also responsible for paying to DHSMV all applicable motor vehicle fees, including the annual use fee associated with any specialty license plate the consumer wishes to display on the digital license plate.
As of now, only black and white displays are available, but the company CEO claims that color versions may be available in a year or so.
According to DHSMV, the bill should have an insignificant impact on it, since the purchase of the digital license plate will be conducted solely between the digital license plate provider and the consumer. Therefore, DSHMV does not plan on programming connectivity between the proposed digital license plates and DSHMV systems and will continue with its current procedures for original and renewal license plate transactions (per Email from Kevin Jacobs, Legislative Affairs Director, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, February 25, 2021.) The bill does not appear to impact county or municipal governments.

​"We look forward to working with Reviver and the ecosystem of vehicle compliance their platform and digital license plates will provide our DMV and our citizens. The expressive nature of their digital plates provides untapped opportunities for valuable communications." said Senator Joe Gruters, (R – Sarasota), the bill sponsor. Representative Nick Duran (D – Miami) who is sponsoring the House bill, said, "Bringing digital license plates to Florida helps to pave the way into a more connected future. Florida has always been on the cutting-edge of technology and allowing the use of this technology can bring large-scale efficiency and savings to the over 17 million registered vehicles in our state."

​According to ReviverMX, Inc., the company pursuing the legislation, their digital license plates are currently available in California and Arizona, and they claim 11 other states are in various stages of adoption. Depending on the type of digital license plate, prices start at $499 plus $55 per year or $17.95 per month with a 36-month agreement. https://reviver.com/shop/ The company is currently selling Rplates through multiple channels including automotive dealerships, affinity groups such as professional sports teams and college alumni associations, and small to medium-sized commercial fleets.
A SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT was included in ReviverMX’s press release announcing the Florida legislation: ReviverMX, Inc. (The Company) has prepared and provides all of the financial and related information stated herein. The Company makes no express or implied representation or warranty as to projections, estimates, future plans, or forward-looking assumptions or statements, nor as to their attainability or the accuracy and completeness of the assumptions from which they are derived. Projections and estimates of the Company's performance are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and may vary materially from actual results.
ReviverMX, formerly Smart Plate, Inc. was founded in 2009 and did not start selling a product until June 2018. According to the SEC EDGAR database and summary reports, the company raised $25.5 million in seed and A rounds. And a further
Reviver Auto has raised a total of $32M in funding over 5 rounds. Funding was also raised in July, 2019 from a Venture - Series Unknown round and a further %6.6M was raised last year in convertible notes from 48 investors. ViewTrade Securities, based in Boca Raton, are handling most of the fundraising..
According to PrivCo., Reviver Auto is funded by 3 main investors with ACK Group and Walden Riverwood Ventures are the most recent investors and has post-money valuation in the range of $50M to $100M as of Jan 10, 2018,  Board members include Ernst Lieb, the former CEO and President of Mercedes Benz USA, Canada and Australia.

​The latest version of the bill deleted a requirement for ReviverMX to pay $4.00 from the sale of each digital license plate to PRIDE on a quarterly basis. PRIDE Enterprises was incorporated in December 1981 and was formally established by the Legislature in 1983 to act as a private not-for-profit corporation1 operating correctional work programs in Florida’s prisons The final transfer of correctional work programs was completed in July 1984. PRIDE Enterprises does not receive funding from the Legislature and is supported by the earnings that it generates from the sale of its products and services. The DOC is required to lease buildings and land to PRIDE to operate these correctional work programs. PRIDE currently operates 35 different work programs in 21 prison correctional facilities and sells to all levels of government as well as nonstate and private entities. According to Dun & Bradstreet, annual revenue is $76.9 million.
In 2004, PRIDE’s CEO, Pamela Jo Davis, and president, John F. Bruels, were suspended by the company’s board as auditors probed loans the firm made to close affiliates. The board chairman, Maria Camila Leiva, said the board did not believe the two did anything wrong. Davis was paid by a spinoff firm and continued to be paid during her suspension, said PRIDE spokeswoman Evelyn Knight. Bruels was suspended with pay also.
In 2018, the Florida Dept of Corrections, Office of Inspector General Annual Report for FY 2017-18 showed that a Follow-up of Audit of PRIDE, found that  audit staff could not determine whether the billing process for PRIDE Accounts Receivable was accurate
An inmate may be employed by the PRIDE Enterprises or by any other private entity operating on the grounds of a correctional institution during the last 24 months of the inmate’s imprisonment. PRIDE generally pays inmates between 20 cents and 55 cents per hour, depending on their skill level and length of service. In addition, for every $1 an inmate earns, PRIDE pays 15 cents on behalf of inmates for victim restitution and transfers these payments to the department for distribution.

The 41 new specialty license plates approved by the Florida State Legislature are all now available for presale. The presale time-period for this batch of proposed new specialty plates is October 16, 2020 – October 15, 2022. The organizations have 2-years for 3,000 pre-sale vouchers or 4,000 pre-sale vouchers for out-of-state colleges or universities to be sold. Specialty license plates will be issued in the order they appear in Florida Statute 320.08058 provided the organization has met the presale requirement. The Divine 9 (#23-#31) need a combined 3,000. 
February saw a total of 1,979 presale vouchers sold, the lowest month since inception of the sales in October, 2020. A total of 16,179 presale vouches have been sold, totaling $533,907.00. Thank a Lineman saw the highest number of voucher sales in February - 434 and now has sold 799 towards their 3,000 goal. Beat Childhood Cancer sold 221 and Explore off Road Florida sold 196.